certified child sleep consultant

September 3, 2015 by Angela Walsh Leave a Comment

Back-To-School and Back to a Sleep Schedule

It seems like just yesterday we were talking about how to prepare for sleep issues your children may face as they start their summer vacations. As they say, time flies when you’re having fun.

As you can imagine, transitioning a child into “back-to-school” mode after a long summer of fun activities can be difficult on many levels. The recommendation I give to my parents with regards to sleep, is to approach the transition gradually. Progressively changing sleep time slightly ahead, will make the shift much less abrupt for your child.

During the summer months, it’s easy for us to be less concerned about our child’s bedtime. If they didn’t have to get up as early for camp, or if they were having a later afternoon nap, they may have gotten into the habit of falling asleep at a later time. If you transition their bedtime back to “school time” too abruptly, this could cause them difficulty falling asleep, and potentially lead to your child resisting going to bed.

In the few days, or one week leading up to school, begin to adjust your child’s bedtime gradually. Intervals of 15-30 minutes each night is a moderate approach that should be easy for your child to handle. Each night, have your child go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier, and each morning begin getting them up 15-30 minutes earlier, until they are back on track with their school sleep schedule.

How Else Can You Help With the Adjustment?

Start a New Book for Back-to-School
When you are going “back-to-school” shopping, pick out a new bedtime story or novel to read together at bedtime. This may give your child something to look forward to when they go to bed at night. Be sure to tuck them in comfortably, before you begin to read, so they can settle into sleep once you have finished reading.

Keep the Blinds Closed
Because the days are still long in September, be sure to keep your child’s blinds closed when they go to bed. Sunlight can prohibit the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, so make sure their room is nice and dark!

Help Manage Anxiety
Kids going back to school, or young ones heading to school for the first time, may experience some anxiety. This anxiety could be brought on by the change to their schedules, or the thought of the unknown experiences they are about to face. This anxiety may keep them up at night if they are constantly running through “what ifs?” in their head before they fall asleep. Be sure to talk to your child about any concerns they may have, so they can talk things through with you. Speaking with Mom or Dad can often help put a child’s mind at ease. A tip: visually walk your child through their first day back at school. This is an excellent exercise that can help your little one feel better prepared for back to school, and hopefully help to manage some of that anxiety they may be feeling.

Be Consistent
Once your child is back to their school sleep schedule, be consistent with their bedtime. Be mindful of extracurricular activities, as these can often have you and your child busy with activities until later in the evening. Try also to keep dinnertime at the same time each night. This can be challenging, but the more consistent you can be with all activities, the more consistent your child’s sleep schedule will be, and ultimately the better rested they will be.

Your children going back to school, or starting school for the first time is a big adjustment for everyone. In addition to a change in their schedule, parents emotions may be running high as they realize their little ones are growing up. A good night sleep will allow your body to get the proper rest, and recovery required to handle this adjustment in your lifestyle. As you work to regulate your child’s sleep schedule, don’t forget parents need sleep too. My sleep success plans and one-on-one training, can help get your entire family back to sleep. I offer a variety of plans to help suit anyone’s budget or unique needs, and always look forward to working with new families.

Please let me know if you found this information helpful.

Angela Walsh is a Family Sleep Institute, Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant and the founder of Babes in Sleepland. She helps sleep deprived babies, children and families, get back on track and get the sleep they need and desire. To learn more about Angela and how she can help you, visit her website: babesinsleepland.com. Also get sleep tips, the latest research on baby and child products, and be part of her weekly Q and A at her Facebook page: Babes in Sleepland.

June 9, 2015 by Angela Walsh Leave a Comment

How a Child’s Behavior Can be Affected by Their Bedtime and Routines

With summer vacation around the corner, parents of young children can safely assume that their family’s daily and nightly schedules are going to experience a bit of a shake-up. When kids are out of school, they are no longer following the regimented schedules to which they have become accustomed. This can become difficult for implementing a regular summer bedtime.

According to an article published in Pediatrics, The Official Journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics, children who don’t have a fixed bedtime show more behavioral problems than those who go to bed at the same time every night. Authors Yvonne Kelly PhD, John Kelly BEng, and Amanda Sacker PhD looked at the links between disturbed sleep and behavioural problems in children between the ages of three and seven. The results of the study showed that children with varied sleep times may also experience behavioural problems including hyperactivity, conduct problems, problems interacting with peers and emotional difficulties if sleep continues to be varied.

The good news is, according to the research findings, “The effect of having a non-regular bedtime appears to be reversible: For children who changed from not having to having, regular bedtimes, there were improvements in behavioral scores.” http://bit.ly/1BJsZc8

As a Certified Pediatric Sleep Specialist and the mom to four children, I know you can’t manage day after day with little or no sleep. Sleep schedules in childhood are influenced by a variety of biological and social influences. Routines are essential in ensuring healthy sleep. Unfortunately these routines do not always come easy. Working together with parents, I set in place age appropriate naps, bedtime and sleep routines. I develop a sleep plan that is in line with the parent’s goals and parenting philosophy, and provide daily support while the plan is implemented.

So how can your family implement a regular bedtime during the summer?
By making adjustments to meal times you can encourage an earlier bedtime. During the summer months it can be very easy for our days to get away from us and for meals to get pushed back to a later time. Do your best to keep your child’s meal schedules consistent and not have them eat a big meal right before bedtime or naptime.

Choose a sleep friendly bedtime snack
According to the National Sleep Foundation, proteins from the food we eat are the building blocks of tryptophan, which makes us sleepy. Therefore, the best bedtime snack is one that contains both a carbohydrate and protein.

Use a sound machine
During the summer months the sun may still be up when your child goes to bed. There is also a good chance your neighbors are outside enjoying the weather when your child is trying to fall asleep. A white noise machine is best. There are some machines that play lullabies or nature sounds, but often these end up being a stimulant. A white noise machine is non-stimulating and very good at blocking noises from inside and out.

Don’t forget naptime
When families are enjoying summer activities or traveling on vacation it can be difficult to schedule in naptimes. An overtired child can find it difficult to fall asleep at night. Do your best to ensure your child continues their regular naptime during the summer months.

Every child is different, therefore each family experiences their own unique sleep worries. I am happy to work with parents one on one to help provide more specific advice for their specific case. You can review my Sleep Success Plans for additional information.

Please let me know if you found this article helpful.

Angela Walsh is a Family Sleep Institute, Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant and the founder of Babes in Sleepland. She helps sleep deprived babies, children and families, get back on track and get the sleep they need and desire. To learn more about Angela and how she can help you, visit her website: babesinsleepland.com. Also get sleep tips, the latest research on baby and child products, and be part of her weekly Q and A at her Facebook page: Babes in Sleepland.

June 1, 2015 by Angela Walsh Leave a Comment

Tips for Healthy Sleep During the Summer

The days are getting longer, the sun is getting stronger and flowers are in bloom. The beautiful signs of summer time are upon us. Unfortunately while summer is a wonderful time of year, it can create issues for proper sleeping schedules. In addition, the weeks leading up to summer bring with them a high pollen count that can cause irritation for those who suffer from allergies.

Fortunately there are tips to help baby and parent ensure a good sleep during the warm summer months.

Temperature Control:
Do your best to keep the house cool during the night. An ideal temperature for sleeping is between 68 and 72 degrees. Try not to crank the AC too high to avoid creating an unnatural coolness. Many children enjoy the comfort of being able to sleep underneath a blanket, so the idea is to make the house cool enough to allow them to do so comfortably.

For those who do not have air conditioning, keep the blinds closed during the day to help keep the temperature of the room cool. Fans can be helpful to keep the air circulating. Face the fan away from the child’s face to avoid irritation.

Keep an Eye Out For Days With High Pollen Count:
Pollen travels more during warm, windy and dry weather. This can cause allergy symptoms to heighten. The irritating and sometimes painful symptoms of allergies, such as runny nose, itchy eyes and congestion, can make sleeping even more difficult during the spring and summer months. The Weather Network provides an allergy tracking tool on their website that can help parents keep an eye out for days with high pollen counts http://www.weather.com/health/allergy .

Limit Sun Exposure Around Bedtime:
We love any opportunity to get the kids outdoors and being active. Without sounding too contradictory, try to limit the amount of sun exposure your little one gets around bedtime.

Light is an important external factor that can affect sleep, and during the summer it can cause issues in two ways. The longer days we experience in the summer can affect our internal clock and sunlight can prohibit the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

According to the National Sleep Foundation “exposure to light stimulates a nerve pathway from the retina in the eye to an area in the brain called the hypothalamus. There, a special center called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) initiates signals to other parts of the brain that control hormones, body temperature and other functions that play a role in making us feel sleepy or wide awake. The SCN also delays the release of other hormones like melatonin, which is associated with sleep onset, until many hours later when darkness arrives.” http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/melatonin-and-sleep/page/0/1

Less is More:
As the temperature climbs be sure to remove any heavy winter bedding from your little ones crib or bed. Light weight cotton and other breathable fabrics are better options.

Children who still have difficulty wetting the bed may sleep with a waterproof barrier between their bottom sheet and mattress. Many of these barriers do not breathe and can cause your little one to get warm during the night. There are many breathable, hypoallergenic mattress protectors available on the market that can be a positive alternative.

Since we all love summer and love to be up longer and enjoy the long days, keep in mind that your child still needs to be on a good sleep schedule. The occasional later bedtime here or there because of traveling or family and friends visiting, is ok. But don’t make it a habit. Children can become overtired very quickly and this will lead to problems going to bed at night, waking in the night and waking too early in the morning. If your child still naps, these too can be affected. If you would like information on how much sleep your child should be getting a day, as well as some important sleep tips, please click on this link http://babesinsleepland.com/sleep-science-101-registration/, and then follow the prompts.

Please let me know if you found this information helpful!

Angela Walsh is a Family Sleep Institute, Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant and the founder of Babes in Sleepland. She helps sleep deprived babies, children and families, get back on track and get the sleep To learn more about Angela and how she can help you, visit her website they need and desire. : babesinsleepland.com. Also get sleep tips, the latest research on baby and child products, and be part of her weekly Q and A at her Facebook page: Babes in Sleepland.

April 22, 2015 by Angela Walsh 2 Comments

Sleep Challenges in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

April is National Autism Awareness Month. Not long ago I was a guest speaker on I t’s Your Health Network to discuss the impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on a child’s sleep. Here are some of the key points:

Children with ASD experience difficulty falling asleep as well as staying asleep. These children may wake throughout the night, and/or wake very early in the morning. In addition, they can experience physical and environmental issues that can make getting a good night’s sleep even more difficult. Like all children, a lack of sleep can cause negative behavioural effects during the day, as well as have an impact on the sleep patterns of the parents.

Establish a bedtime ritual:
Fortunately, there are several ways that parents can help improve the sleep of children with ASD. Bedtime rituals are important for all children, but especially so with children who have ASD. Such rituals include relaxing, predictable activities that prevent heightened stimulation for the child, that may otherwise make it difficult for them to fall asleep. A recommendation I give to my parents, is to create a visual bedtime schedule for the child that includes details such as:

When to say goodnight to everyone
When to close the curtains
When to pull up the covers

Because autistic children are visual learners, the visual bedtime schedule can include images of each bedtime activity for the child to follow along. I also recommend that you begin to remove objects that create stimuli prior to bedtime, by turning off the computer or television one hour before. It is important that family members incorporate these bedtime rituals into their evenings as well. The home should become a calming environment around bedtime to help promote sleep. Parents and other siblings can help the ritual by turning down the lights before bedtime, which helps to induce the production of melatonin-the sleep hormone.

Create a calming environment:
With the increased sensitivity to environmental stimuli for children with ASD, I have some recommendations that may help children have an easier time fall asleep and stay asleep. It is important to note, that not all children will react the same way to triggers, and you may need to try a few alternative methods.

Carefully moderate the temperature of the child’s room as their child may be sensitive to being too warm or too cold
Children with ASD are sensitive to touch, therefore try a footed pajama or bare feet to see what suits them best
There can be a sensitivity to seams in clothing or bedding, so ensure pajamas and sheets are extra soft and not irritating
Children with ASD may be irritated by tight fitting clothing, so try pajamas that are loose and not too clingy
Music or white noise can help some children settle into sleep. Alternatively, if noise is an issue for your child, you may try ear plugs or headphones to block out sound
Smell can bother children, so avoid scented candles, strong smelling fabric softeners, or cleansers.
A weighted blanked is helpful, as the deep pressure can help to relieve anxiety and calm children with ASD. However, weighted blankets can only be used by older children, as they are a hazard to a younger child. Please check with the manufacturer of the blanket before proceeding

As children move through the many ages and stages of development, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy sleep pattern. For children who suffer from the symptoms of ASD and are overly sensitive to outside stimuli, proper sleep hygiene can be challenging. But no matter what your child’s background, the common theme is that sleep is vital to healthy development and overall well-being.

Thanks to wonderful organizations that have developed over the years to help increase awareness and understanding of ASD, parents now have many resources to help ensure that their child achieves the highest quality of life. If your child is having sleep issues which is making their symptoms worse, I am able to help you implement a sleep plan that will get your child sleeping comfortably, and improve the quality of their life and yours. For more information on my services, please check out my Sleep Success Plans to see if there is one that fits you or feel free to contact me directly.

Please let me know if you found this information helpful!

March 13, 2015 by Angela Walsh Leave a Comment

How Did You Survive the Time Change?

I was just reading an article entitled Changing the Clocks Wasn’t Good for Your Relationships. Well speaking personally I wouldn’t go that far, but I would say I found it very difficult. Each morning it was a struggle getting out of bed and I never seemed tired at night when the clock said 10PM (my usual bedtime!) All I can say is, I sympathize with those young families whose children weren’t tired at bedtime, and could not get up in the morning for school. As well as those babies and toddlers who really had trouble with their morning and afternoon nap schedules. I’m hoping many of you read my article offering sleep tips for the time change. http://www.myprgenie.com/view-publication/daylight-saving-time-to-spring-ahead-sleep-tips-by-babes-in-sleepland,

Well to get to the main point of this, the article I referred to at the beginning discusses how a lack of sleep and sleep deprivation has negative consequences to relationships, (and I would add to families and the work place.) In particular, we act more selfishly, we become more volatile and impulsive, and we have less control over our emotions. At home, we are more likely to argue with our loved ones!

In research published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, participants were shown more likely to have selfish tendencies and unable to see their partner’s perspective, when they slept poorly. Serena Chen, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-researcher, claimed that “if you sleep poorly you are prone to be self-centered;” your focus is “me,me,me.”

A variety of studies that are mentioned in this article show many negative side effects to the time change, As already mentioned:

impulsivity
volatility
less-control (also called ego-depletion)
selfish tendencies

And in addition:

less moral awareness
more time spent aimlessly surfing the internet
increase in workplace injuries
increase in heart attacks

So what is the take away? We all need sleep and as a Pediatric Sleep Consultant, I know we all need consolidated and restorative sleep. If a one- hour time change can wreak so much havoc, just imagine how much more many sleepless nights, can wreak.

This is what I see in my practice:

Overtired and overstressed parents, and the main cause of this is that their children are not sleeping; not because they’re changing their clocks twice a year.

If you feel you are one of those parents, and you know it’s because your children are not sleeping, let me help you. I can get your kids sleeping again and allowing all of you to get the sleep you desire and more importantly, need!

Let me know what you think. Was this article helpful?

Angela Walsh is a Family Sleep Institute, Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant and the founder of Babes in Sleepland. She helps sleep deprived babies, children and families, get back on track and get the sleep they need and desire. To learn more about Angela and how she can help you, visit her website: babesinsleepland.com Also get sleep tips, the latest research on baby and child products, and be part of her weekly Q and A at her Facebook page: Babes in Sleepland.

Back-To-School and Back to a Sleep Schedule

How a Child’s Behavior Can be Affected by Their Bedtime and Routines

Tips for Healthy Sleep During the Summer

Sleep Challenges in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

How Did You Survive the Time Change?

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